Giving Fund: Cases 21-30

Published 9:53 pm, Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Following a tradition marking its 30th year, The Advocate and Greenwich Time, in conjunction with Family Centers and Person-to-Person, have launched the Giving Fund, which gives members of the community a chance to help neighbors in need.

Requests are collected through the agency's programs and published with details for residents who want to donate.

All of the money raised goes directly to the clients. The newspapers have been involved in holiday campaigns since 1983, and raised more than $85,000 last year (2012-13).

The newspapers will publish the cases in print Thursdays and Sundays until the beginning of January and maintain a full list online. Donations can be made at www.stamfordadvocate.com/givingfund.

Case No. 21

Tina is a single mother who recently was given a work assignment that drastically reduced her hours and is affecting her ability to pay for her child care while she continues to look for additional employment. A gift of $400 would help her hold her child's place in the child care center while she continues to search for a full-time job.

Case No. 22

Norma is the mother of a 3-month-old baby girl. Prior to giving birth, Norma became very ill and was hospitalized. As a result, she suffered financially because of significant lost wages. Norma does not have health insurance and had to use her savings to pay for medication that she still takes to this date. Norma's husband recently had an accident on the job, which also sent him to the hospital. Then he lost his job, and in two months, while looking for another job, he exhausted his savings. Norma would benefit from a $500 gift to allow her to continue her medical treatment.

Case No. 23

Aida is a single mother of a 2-year-old child with special needs. Aida has very little support, and recently lost her jobbecause of her own mental health issues. Aida would benefit from a $500 giftto not only help her with her rent, but also food and winter clothes for her child.

Case No. 24

Amy is a single mother residing in a shelter with her son. She recently separated from her husband, who was very abusive. Although she holds a full-time job, Amy is working toward securing her own apartment. A $500 gift would allow her to pay for security deposit.

Case No. 25

Maria recently gave birth to her first child. Her husband only works part time, leaving the family to scrape by financially. Maria's telephone was recently disconnected as she was not able to keep up with the payment. A $500 gift would allow her family to be up to date with her rent payments and her bills.

Case No. 26

Julia was recently laid off, and has fallen far behind on her rent. If she is unable to pay at least one month of back rent, Julia's landlord will evict her and her 2-year-old son. A gift of $500 would help Julia get back on her feet and keep a roof over her baby's head.

Case No. 27

Sandra is a young mother of a 2-year-old boy with special needs. Sandra will be obtaining her associates degree in child development, and has recently been admitted to a state college. A gift of $500 would help Sandra start her education off on the right foot.

Case No. 28

Hanna is a mother of a 16-month-old boy. She and her husband are struggling financially, as she has not been able to secure employment for the last two years. Hanna would benefit from a gift of $300 to pay some overdue utility bills.

Case No. 29

Tanya has been on disability for many years. During this past year, her father died. She cared for him both physically and financially. As she recovers from her loss, she is finding it hard to recover financially. She is behind on her phone and rent bills. She is having a hard time restocking her cupboard with staples and basic cleaning supplies. Tanya would benefit greatly from receiving $650.

Case No. 30

Jackie is an immigrant from Haiti and lives independently. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, she lost her job and she has been unemployed for a year. Recently, she found two part-time jobs, but now has so much back rent to pay and she feels she will never be able to catch up. Jackie would benefit from $800 toward her back rent.